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activities
just so you’ll know, before we tell you what’s available, you might decide you prefer to remain here and just "be." the beach is mighty fine, and aurum offers the lovely opportunity to bask in its deeply peaceful atmosphere. so you may find, like lots of our guests, that your planned activities just fall away…
volcanic activity
ever been to an active volcano? ever walked a geothermal area?
we are spoiled for choice here. visitors can fly vulcan helicopters from whakatane, rotorua or tauranga. i have done this flight, which is spectacular. if the volcano isn’t spewing forth too much sulphuric acid, the helicopter lands and you can have a bit of exploration. there are things of geological, biological and historic interest to take in, in addition to the raw power and otherworldliness of it all - scenic beauty in a class of its own. the day i flew we couldn’t land as the helicopter would get an acid treatment. (and so would we!) i still remember the clarity and beautiful aqua colour of the water surrounding the island…
or make a day of it, weather permitting, with the lovely boats and crews of white island tours. you will likely encounter a dolphin or two along the way. and the interest starts as soon as they hand you your most unusual ticket…
the volcano has smoked every day for the almost 20 years i have been here, except for two years recently when a lake formed atop the active . however, smoking has since resumed. aurum’s visitors have just to wander down to the "front yard" beach and see who they can see. sometimes whakaari/white island hides, but almost always an inactive volcanic island, whale island/moutohora, is visible.
dolphins, whales and a whale of an island
an excellent two hour ocean adventure awaits visitors to our area. trips leave from whakatane daily, depending on the weather and the numbers. your destination is Whale Island, Moutohora. a wildlife sanctuary has been established around this dormant volcanic island. explore the bays and learn the history of the and the ongoing conservation work. best of all, you are likely to encounter some of the following: common or bottlenose dolphins, orca, fur seals, little blue penguins and gannets.
to find out more, freephone 0800 733 529, or visit www.dolphinandwhale.co.nz
fun unplugged festival
launching 27 january, opotiki district council’s fun unplugged festival offers horse rides, horse races on local beaches, the nationally known beach sculpture competition, hunting and fishing competitions, bush walks, the fantastic waiotahi country market, country hall dances, river activities, a locally produced pantomine with very enthusiastiastic actors, etc etc etc. fancy a pig hunt or some eeling, perhaps? if you can think of somethieng else to do, council is keen to organize somebody to provide it for you!
the festival’s creation last summer saw the creation of opotiki’s awesome mega mud slide. kids and adults who are still in touch with the kid in themselves went down thart slippery slope, squealing with delight and grinning at the end. this year council has thoughtfully added a shower… the mud slide is one of many activities in opotiki during the fun unplugged summer programme, designed to get kids and grownups unplugged from their computer games and outside enjoying one another and this glorious, pristine and beautiful area.
so come along and have some fun! the festival runs through 29 january, though the mudslide continues to 10 february.
horse treks
for an unforgettable time, let jenny of starlight horsetreks take you for a ride along a renowned eastern bay of plenty beach or a meander along an unspoilt new zealand river. enjoy the sights and sounds of native birds and bush, or volcanos and shore birds; you get to choose. beautiful white island, whakaari, is once again sending up smoke signals, and whale island, motuhora, is its lovely self minus smoke; both are visible from local beaches — long stretches of sand, largely undeveloped still.
jenny is a one of a kind woman, passionate about her horses and cats and animal welfare. she also is one of the biggest fans of opotiki, and writes stories as well. she absolutely loves showing off her beloved eastern bay of plenty to visitors on horseback. she has horses for those who are complete novices and for more experienced riders, is great with kids, and can provide a memorable hour or day trip for you!
jenny provides horses and helmets, you come along in long pants, socks and shoes and prepared for weather, covered up for sun protection or raincoats, and she’ll take care of everything else. she can provide instruction in riding safely and share her love of opotiki and its surrounds with you along the way.
hikutaia domain, opotiki’s native bush botanical garden
experience the magic of hikutaia domain, opotiki’s best kept secret. a few kilometers into the hills down opotiki’s woodlands road lies farmland. there is a small lane, lined with native plants, which appears in a paddock. those who turn down this lane will be treated to the rare beauty of a new zealand native botanical garden, an amazing collection of plants from throughout new zealand. and those who take a certain path will encounter the majesty of taketakerau, a beloved puriri tree more than 2000 years old. nikau palms, tree ferns, haunting bird calls, highly recommended. take your video camera along if you’ve brought one, or your camera if you haven’t. there is a small picnic area and toilets at the entrance. a meanderer could spend an hour on the clearly defined, easily managed paths, or a quick homage to taketakerau can be done in 10 minutes. on a rainy day, the bush is even more magical.
local honey
on the way back from hikutaia domain, call in and meet alan and barb and the bees at hikutaia honey, local honey, made with love! and even if you don’t like honey, your friends probably do, and you will enjoy meeting alan and barb in the process.
lavender house
lavender house in opotiki is a charming lavender kauri cottage with an out-in-the-country feel. glorious flowers and a variety of lavenders welcome you to the home and studio of the distinguished artist Shona Hammond Boys QSM.
shona will likely be busy painting or gardening when you ring her on 315-5014 for an appointment to visit. shona’s extremely strong creative urges result in all sorts of beautiful things for sale. she may be painting when you arrive, giving you an opportunity to watch her producing one of her magical paintings. you may want to buy one of her treasured works, maybe even the one you watched her paint! shona works are rich and vibrant and exciting, like she is herself.
"lavender" is how shona is known to opotiki’s youth. shona gave birth to her childhood dreams and became the originator of new zealand’s children’s art house foundation, which has helped children find and live their own dreams, not to mention their creative abilities. shona’s foundation has been modeled world-wide, and she is the deserving recipient of a Queen’s Service Medal.
new to opotiki, shona is now recognized locally as well as internationally for her extraordinary abilities. she is currently working with troubled youth from desperate homes, helping them learn their own beauty and how to spiral upward.
shona is such a treasure that meeting her may just be the best thing about your visit to lavender house!